Losing a crucial IPL match against Mumbai Indians at the Holkar Stadium, the Kings Xi Punjab is lurking around somewhere in the middle of the Points Table, while the MI climbed to the top of the table after this impressive nice-wicket triumph.
Chasing a mammoth total of 199, the Mumbai Indians reached the winning score in the 15th over itself; thanks to the brilliant performance by Jos Butler who scored 77 runs off just 37 balls.
Butler was later named Man of the Match for his scintillating knock. Parthiv Patel (37) and Nitish Rana (62) gave adequate support to Butler in the run chase.
Butler and Parthiv stole the show
After winning the toss, Mumbai Indians opted to bowl first, but things did not go well for them, as Hashim Amla (106) and Shaun Marsh (26) started thrashing the bowlers from the very first ball. Glenn Maxwell (40 off 18 balls) delivered an explosive inning in the final over which helped Mumbai Indians reach a score of 198. For Mumbai, Mitchell McClenagan picked two wickets, while Krunal Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah grabbed one wicket each.
Chasing a total of 198 was not an easy task under the lights, but Parthiv Patel and Jos Butler were on hunting mode and they did not allow any of the Punjabi bowlers to settle down. Even though Patel fell for 37 when the team total was 81, Butler continued his hitting spree and took the team close to the winning mark before handing over the baton to Nitish Rana and Hardik Pandya. It was Ishant Sharma who was hit badly by Butler, as the Indian veteran conceded 58 runs off four overs with an economy rate of 14.50.
Kolkata Knight Riders are locking horns with Gujarat Lions in the next game at the Eden Gardens in Kolkatta. Being a weekend, record viewership is expected for this match, and most of the tickets are already being sold out.
Kolkata is now in the second spot in the points table, and a win here will help them to reach the top spot on the list.
On the other hand, Gujarat Lions who has marked just one win out of the five matches played consider it as a do or die chance to keep their chances alive in this tournament. Most of the old heroes are striking big runs in this edition, Dhoni clinched a win for his side while Suresh Raina surpassed Kohli in runs with his 80 plus knock.
IPl tv telecast and live streaming.
In India, the game can be enjoyed live on Set Max and Sony Six. The live streaming can be enjoyed on Hotstar or the official website of Sony Six. Willow TV and ESPN Is telecasting the game in the United States.